Defrosting the Queen
by widerthandistance5647
Summary: Elsa freezes Regina's heart and only an act of True Love can save her. How far is Emma willing to go to find Regina's True Love? Tink and Henry suspect that Emma could be Regina's True Love but with people still out for revenge against the Evil Queen, Tink and Henry must hurry to get Emma to realize her feelings before time runs out.
1. A Cold Heart

Once again, Emma 'The Savior' Swan had done less saving and more screwing up. Not only did she very nearly guarantee that she'd never have been born, thanks to her little escapade in the past, she wrecked Regina's chances at True Love because of her actions. She wasn't necessarily sorry for bringing back Maid Marian, but not exactly for the reasons most people suspected. Yeah, murder was wrong and Emma was, like most people, against murder. But unlike the people in Storybrooke, all the literal fairytale characters, Emma knew that sometimes murder was necessary. She hadn't done it, personally, but there were some foster parents whom she wouldn't have minded watching die. No, but the reason Emma wasn't sorry she saved Marian was for an entirely selfish reason. She didn't want to know that _her _Regina had committed such a terrible crime, no matter the reason, even if she almost basically saw Regina light Snow White on fire. And aside from the look of utter devastation and _betrayal _on Regina's face, Emma couldn't say she minded that Regina was no longer dating Robin Hood.

Because, you see, Emma _hated _Robin Hood. She didn't know why, exactly, because Robin seemed like a nice guy and out of all the Disney movies, she really liked _Robin Hood _and even tried to emulate that crafty fox a time or two. But there was just something about seeing Robin making Regina so happy that didn't sit well. Emma knew in her gut that something was wrong with that picture, and it wasn't Regina being happy because Emma liked seeing Regina happy.

And that's why right this minute, Emma Swan felt like shit. Because she would never see Regina happy again. Because on top of ruining Regina's relationship with Robin by bringing back Marian, Emma had also ruined Regina's relationship with things that weren't completely frozen solid because Emma had brought back fucking Elsa and Regina had taken a shot to the heart.

A shot meant for Emma's heart, no less.

Regina, despite having all the reason in all the worlds to hate Emma, saved her. And now she was frozen.

And in a meat locker, because Emma didn't want her to, like, melt or anything. And even though Gold said Elsa's magical freezing abilities ensured that Regina wouldn't melt, Emma wasn't going to be taking any chances. She wasn't going to lose Regina completely. Not when there was still hope.

And there was still hope, kind of.

Because, and Emma would know better than anyone, being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, that True Love could break any curse. And, hell, even Elsa had said, before sending the ice ray, that only an act of True Love would be able to save the person whose heart was frozen.

But Elsa had been aiming for Emma, so that meant, maybe, Regina had another True Love out there. Right? Could a person even have three supposed True Loves? And if Regina had so many, how come Regina wasn't happy?

"Because you fucking froze her to death, you moron," Emma muttered to herself.

Emma was standing outside the glass door of the meat locker, which was magicked up by Emma herself, in Regina's cellar. It was a lot like one of those freezers at the grocery store, the kind you could see through so you could look through all the variations of ice cream or frozen vegetables or TV dinners, except what Emma was looking at was Regina, frozen in her final moment, forever in the position of saving Emma.

Which was ironic, since Emma was the Savior and all.

"Regina," Emma said, "I don't know if you can hear me or whatever and I know it's kind of crazy to be talking to a statue version of you, but, um, I just wanted to let you know that I will track down your True Love to get you back. No matter what it takes, I'll do it."

The mayor didn't respond, of course, but Emma liked to imagine that she retorted with, _You couldn't find your own True Love if it was staring you in the face, you idiot, what makes you think that you could find mine when even I couldn't?_

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Emma replied to the imaginary comeback and then she walked away to begin her search.


	2. It Won't Be That Easy

Logically, the first place to start on her search to find Regina's True Love would be Henry, since she'd seen Regina bring back Henry's memories with True Love's kiss, so she exited the cellar and went up to find the kid. He was in the living room with his grandparents, because Regina had just been frozen solid for about six hours and everyone was still trying to figure out a way to cope.

"How you doin', Henry?" Emma asked him once she got close enough for him to hear her.

In response, Henry glared at her, which was not exactly what Emma had been expecting but no less than she deserved. "This is all _your _fault."

Snow and Charming both tried to assure Henry that it wasn't, but Emma quickly put a stop to that because it was _all _her fault and the kid wasn't a moron.

"You're right," she nodded as she crouched down to his eye level, "it _is _my fault. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not going to unfreeze my mom!" Henry shouted, but it was more of a sob. "I hate you! I wish I'd never found you. You just wrecked _everything_!"

That hurt and Emma could feel the emotions she'd tamped down start to come to the surface. Did she ruin everything? Maybe. But the feeling of being unwanted, as she watched her mom cradle her new little brother, the kid who'd get all the love she never had, wasn't a feeling that sat well with Emma.

With the beginnings of tears that she wouldn't let fall in her eyes, Emma tried again, "Henry, _I'm really sorry_ that all this happened. Really."

Henry looked Emma straight in the eyes and she was sure that through his tears he could make out her own, which was why she was shocked when he said, "No you aren't."

At her perplexed expression, he continued, "You might be sorry Mom is frozen _now," _and it really was funny how happy it made her to hear Henry call Regina "Mom" even though the circumstances royally sucked, "but you aren't sorry that all of this happened, that you brought Marian back and ruined Mom's chance to have True Love again, even though you get to be happy with _Hook!"_

The amount of disgust Henry put into Hook's name was something Emma was sure Regina would have been proud of, if she'd been here and not frozen in her cellar, of course. Which, "Speaking of Regina's True Love, Henry, I want to try something."

And she knew it was hard and Henry was just a kid and he shouldn't have to deal with all the pressure of bringing Regina back, but there was nothing Emma could do about that. She explained, as best she could, about how only an act of True Love could possibly thaw Regina's now frozen heart, and presumably the rest of her, and that as far as she knew, Henry was it. She'd seen her herself, as had her parents, which they confirmed once again for Henry, even though the twelve year old had been there.

"So I need you to go downstairs and kiss Regi - your _mom, _okay?" Emma asked, breathless from her explanation.

Emma didn't really know what she had expected to happen. She supposed she had thought Henry, with his utter belief in good overpowering evil and True Love conquers all, would have hopped up straight away and ran down to Regina to revive her or whatever as fast as he could, but instead he looked at her like she was a moron, which, again, she thought Regina would have been proud of.

"It doesn't work that way," he said, as if talking to a particularly slow baby who couldn't understand where its feet came from and disappeared to so suddenly.

"Yeah it does, kid," Emma replied, "I saw it. Hell, I lived it, when I kissed you after that apple turnover thing."

She didn't really like bringing up one of Regina's ill-conceived and ill-carried out misdeeds, but it was true. She'd _seen _and acted out the whole True Love thing with Henry so it was gonna work. It had to work.

Henry shook his head. "It worked for _me_, with you guys, because I'm just a kid."

"He's right," Snow decided to give her helpful input. "True Love's Kiss works differently the other way around. You and Regina could break curses on Henry because he's just a kid and for a kid there's no stronger love that that of a mother. Or in his case, mothers. But Regina won't wake up or thaw if Henry kisses her, no matter how much he loves her."

"That's fucking bullshit!" Emma cursed as she stood up, not caring that Henry was in the room. "Who the fuck made up that retarded ass rule? Was it Gold? I bet it was Gold. Fucking great. Damn it all to hell. Shit. What am I going to do now? I promised Regin - I have to wake her up."

Charming laid a comforting hand on his distraught daughter's shoulder, "We're sorry, honey, but that's how it's always been, even _before _Gold. But you'll find a way to bring Regina back; we believe in you."

And Emma took a moment to look at her family, sitting there together on Regina's couch, and she saw it. They really did believe she could bring Regina back. Even Baby Neal looked like he believed. Everyone believed, except Henry, who had a shadow of doubt on his face, but an encouraging smile nonetheless, and Emma herself.

"Please save Mom, Emma," Henry begged. And that was that.

Emma had to save Regina.

"I fucking hate being the Savior," she announced as she made for the front door.

_You wouldn't have to save me if you didn't mess up in the first place, _an imaginary Regina chided.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Emma muttered to herself as she left the mayoral mansion and went to her yellow Bug that was parked out front. "Let's just hope that there's someone out there that loves you, who _isn't _our kid."


	3. Finding Possible Answers

After striking out with Henry, Emma was sitting in her yellow Bug outside of Town Hall. She was back to square one since her kid couldn't wake up his other mother and she was trying to determine the list of other possible Regina True Love matches in Storybrooke. She was sitting outside of Town Hall because that's where the 'crime', as she'd been referring to it as, took place. Regina had been frozen on the steps, in front of the entire town. And so Emma had returned, even though Elsa was long gone (presumably back to her own time, but Emma didn't give a fuck about where she was beyond her not being in Storybrooke), because she thought maybe being here again would spark an epiphany.

But so far, the only thing she'd been doing is crying, which even she knew was pathetic. She really didn't know why the sudden loss of Regina was affecting her so badly, but she was torn up about losing the mayor and she didn't know what to do.

_Unfreeze me, _Regina's voice suggested from within Emma's head.

Emma wiped her tears and snot with her sleeves, which she was sure would've earned her a disgusted look from Regina, as she chuckled at her Imaginary Regina, as she'd been calling the voice in her head that sounded like the former queen.

"You're right, Regina," she said, rolling her eyes because _of course, _Regina was always right. "Time to start thinking like a bounty hunter. Because _I am _going to unfreeze you."

Like it was some fucked up, grown-up version of freeze tag. Like it was easy. How does one go about finding someone else's True Love?

"Think, Emma," she told herself. "You can do it."

She started strumming her fingers on the steering wheel as she was going through the list of everyone she knew in Storybrooke who might be harboring some secret flame for the queen.

But wait. Did True Love have to be mutual? She sure as hell didn't know.

So she needed to ask someone who would know.

"Great," she muttered as she made her way out of the Bug. "To Gold it is."

* * *

The bell to the pawn shop jingled as Emma stormed her way in, looking very determined.

"Hello, Emma!" Belle greeted her with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"Is Gold here?" Emma asked, foregoing pleasantries because now was no time to be pleasant. She had a mission, after all.

"I'm sorry, no," Belle said. "But perhaps I can help you."

Emma regarded her doubtfully for a second before she realized that Belle read a shit ton of books and was uber close to Gold and she'd probably know more than Emma anyway. "Alright, what do you know about True Love?"

Belle looked startled for just a moment before she looked at Emma was a very serious expression, "This is about Regina, right?"

_Yes! Of course it's about Regina! _Emma wanted to scream. How come no one but her and Henry seemed to feel like the world without Regina was broken? Even her parents didn't seem all that worried, whether or not they believed Emma could fix it.

"Yeah," Emma answered, trying to sound less panicky than she felt, "just, you know, I'm not really knowledgeable about all things magic and Enchanted Forest-y but Elsa mentioned True Love could fix Regina and so I was wondering if you could tell me about True Love so I could, you know, find Regina's and everything can go back the way it's supposed to be."

Belle nodded, "I'll tell you everything I know. Come with me."

And Emma followed Belle into the back room.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Emma said, confusion and disbelief lacing her tone, "a person can have like an _infinity _of True Loves, only some are stronger than others?"

"Well," Belle drawled, "not exactly. You see, a person can have many _potential _True Loves. Some could be in a different realm, a different time, and it's not something static. It's an evolving process, so someone who could've been your True Love today might not be tomorrow because of some unknown circumstance."

Emma raised her eyebrow, "So what makes a potential True Love a real True Love?"

"Awareness," Belle answered, for what felt like the hundredth time. Emma really wasn't understanding this. "I don't know if you've talked to Tinkerbell _or _Regina about this, but a long time ago, Tink tried to help Regina and -"_  
_

"Yeah, Tink and Regina had a falling out," Emma interrupted. I don't understand what this has to do with anything."

Belle was thankful she was such a patient woman. She continued as if Emma hadn't interrupted her, "Regina was unhappily married to the king and upset over Daniel -"

"The stable boy Cora murdered?"

"Right, now please let me finish."

"Sorry. Go on."

"Tink was a new fairy and she thought that she could help Regina find happiness again. Find her True Love. But Regina was sure that person was dead, because it was Daniel. But when Daniel died, another of Regina's potential True Loves rose within the ranks, so to speak. Tink used pixie dust to lead Regina to Robin Hood, who was Regina's next True Love, but Regina didn't go meet him so Hood just stayed potential. _Then _he met Marian and fell in love, so Regina was no longer _his _potential True Love, until Marian, um...died. Then the door was opened for him and Regina to find each other again. What made the connection is _both parties' awareness _of this connection. Regina knew and denied it. Robin Hood didn't know. But when he did and Regina stopped denying it, they were True Loves."

Emma quickly stood up as realization hit. "Thanks, Belle!"

Belle stood up, too, wondering why Emma seemed to excited all of a sudden and where she was running to.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Robin Hood! He's Regina's True Love!"

And with those words, Emma Swan was gone. And she didn't hear Belle say, "He's not her True Love any more because Marian is back."


	4. Second Chances and No Good Thieves

Emma had been excited when she left Gold's shop because she could bring Regina back. She knew how. And, really, she should have realized it sooner. Of course. Robin Hood. She knew. She just didn't think about him.

But now she was thinking about him, sitting in her Bug outside of his house, watching him play in the front yard with Roland and Marian, _his wife. _She wasn't sure if they'd noticed her, but she definitely noticed the happy little family and she was disgusted. She was disgusted because Robin seemed to have moved on from Regina really quickly and she was disgusted that she brought Marian back and she was disgusted that she was disgusted because Robin, Roland, and Marian were a cute family. They were a family. And she had no right to wish to deprive them of that. She should be happy she had reunited them, but she wasn't.

_Because Regina would've been just as cute with them, _she thought.

She wanted to go up to Robin and drag him to Regina's cellar and get this over with, but at the same time she didn't want to do anything of the sort. Because she'd remind them all of everything, maybe spark Robin's love for Regina again, which is what she wanted if that's what it took to save Regina, but she didn't want to do that to Marian and Roland. Or Regina. Regina didn't deserve to be a second choice, a mistress, or anything like that.

"Come on, Swan," she said. "You made a promise."

She got out of the car and slowly approached Robin Hood, who greeted her with a friendly nod.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to get out of that car and come say hello."

Emma offered him a strained smile, "I need to talk to you."

Robin nodded again, "Okay. What about?"

Emma looked at Roland and Marian, who were looking at her in return. "In private."

Robin also looked at his family and he shook his head. "There are no secrets in this family. Whatever you have to discuss with me, you can discuss in front of my family."

"I need you to kiss Regina!" Emma blurted.

"Regina!" Roland exclaimed, excitedly. "Are we going to visit Regina?"

Robin looked strained, as if he wished he had taken up Emma on the offer of private discussion. Marian just stood there in shock.

"I mean," Emma began, thinking of a better way to phrase it, "you're her True Love, right?"

Which was definitely not the right thing to say because Marian looked even more perplexed and Robin Hood looked angry.

"That woman is not my _anything," _the thief growled out. "She is dead to me."

"Well, she's basically dead to everyone now that she's _frozen," _Emma grounded out, angry. "And you _were _her True Love. Or did you not tell Marian that? That you were dating Regina before you _dumped _her without a second thought?"

"She was going to _kill _my wife! And why are you defending her? You're the one who _saved _Marian from the Evil Queen!"

"Yeah," Emma said, "I saved her from the Evil Queen, not Regina."

"They're the same!"

"They are not and for someone who was _so goddamn in love with her, _you sure as hell should've known that. And, whatever, that's not even why I'm here. I'm happy you and Marian and Roland all get a second chance to be together. But does that mean Regina doesn't deserve a chance? That she should stay frozen forever? Because you sure as shit didn't care that she killed your wife when you were making out with her in the hallway! But now you're angry because she _was going _to?"

Marian decided to add her two cents, "Emma, Robin will do whatever it takes to help you. As much as I dislike the Evil Queen, as you know, I also know that she's changed. You've said as much yourself, but so has Roland. I trust my son's judgment."

Robin looked at his wife like she had just condemned him to an eternity of death. "What do I have to do?"

Emma let herself smile just a little. Finally. Progress. "All you gotta do is kiss Regina. True Love's kiss, you know? So since you are her True Love, or were, or whatever, maybe it'll work. That's _all. _Kiss Regina then come back here. I just need her to wake up."

"I don't think that will work," Robin said.

"Why not?"

"I don't love her any more."

"Can you at least try?" the desperation in Emma's voice was strong.

Robin looked once again at Marian who nodded her head encouragingly, which Emma was impressed by.

"Fine."

* * *

Robin Hood was staring at Regina's frozen for as if it was the first time he'd really seen her. And that all he saw was evil. Emma didn't like it.

"Just quit staring and kiss her," she ordered.

Robin started pacing. "I don't know, Emma. I just. She was going to kill my wife!"

"But she didn't! And like I said before, you didn't care when she _did _kill your wife, why do you care so much now that she didn't?"

"I ju-," Robin began before he paused. "I don't remember her killing Marian."

"_What?"_

"It's all a little fuzzy," Robin said, "but I'm pretty sure Regina didn't kill Marian before."

"So you're mad because Regina didn't kill your wife, twice? The fuck?"

"I'm mad because she _intended _to kill Marian, over Snow White, who, may I remind you, is _your mother, _whom Regina also wanted dead."

"Yeah, yeah," Emma waved the comments away, "water under the bridge. But she didn't."

"Because _you _stopped her!"

"Well, I just changed the past. If you don't remember Marian dying at the hands of the Evil Queen, Regina must not have gone through with it the first time. Before I messed up."

"Can we quit wasting time? Just tap into whatever the hell you felt for Regina before you started hating her for no good goddamn reason, kiss her, then you can go back to doing whatever the fuck you won't. I won't care as long as Regina's back."

Robin looked at Emma for a long time, then he said, "Why don't you kiss her?"

"Ha ha," Emma deadpanned. "Quit stalling. Kiss her."

Robin shook his head but looked at Regina anyway. Emma could see the hatred being slowly replaced with something she felt comfortable labeling as fondness. He opened the freezer door.

"I don't hate you, Regina," he said, and he placed a light kiss on her cheek.

The breath Emma hadn't known she had been holding was huffed out when nothing happened.

"Are you sure you did it right?"

"I kissed her. You saw!" Robin defended himself.

"You must not have felt it enough. Try again!"

"No. You said to kiss her. I did. Now I'm going home."

"Fine!" Emma yelled. "Go! Get off Regina's property! And _fuck you!"_

Robin Hood did leave. He was measurably less angry than Emma, so he left calmly. Emma, however, was the complete opposite of calm.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, Regina," she said as she began pacing back and forth. "I thought for sure that would work."

_But you didn't want it to, _Imaginary Regina chirped.

"Okay," Emma said, "so I don't like Robin Hood that much. So what? I still wanted him to wake you up."

_No you didn't._

"Yes, I did. I don't want you to stay frozen forever."

_You didn't want Robin Hood to be my True Love either. _

Emma didn't argue. Because Imaginary Regina was right. She hadn't wanted Robin Hood to be able to wake Regina up because that would've meant he was her True Love and Emma just didn't think he was good enough for Regina.

"It's okay," Emma reassured the frozen Regina, "I'll find you another True Love and he'll be better than Robin Hood. You'll see."

_I'm waiting. _

Instead of answering, Emma started out of the cellar once again.

"I'm going to see Tink, Regina," she called over her shoulder. "Maybe she'll be able to help again."


	5. Hope

Emma had spent quite a few hours asking around for the whereabouts of Tinkerbell. After the Neverland adventure but before the Zelena trouble, the fairy kind of dropped off of Emma's radar. She had gone to the nunnery, of course, because that's where all the other fairies lived, but Astrid had informed Emma that Tink had not returned, even after she had gotten her wings back. So Emma had plodded around town, searching. She was surprised at how hard the fairy was to track in the small town of Storybrooke.

She had almost given up when she ran into Tink at Granny's, of all places. And, in fact, a place Emma had already searched.

"Hello, Emma," Tink greeted her coolly, "what can I get for you?"

She glanced at Tink, a quizzical expression on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Tink said. "Granny hired me. Said she needed extra help."

Emma ordered a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and cinnamon, while Tink explained that she'd been living at Granny's and that Granny had hired her to help at the diner. In exchange, Tink got free room and board, plus a little extra spending money, not that she needed a whole lot in _Storybrooke. _

"There are less places to shop here than in the Enchanted Forest," Tink had said. "And I was born in a flower, so I'm not exactly the pickiest person."

The two had made awkward small talk for a while. Emma asked how Tink liked the town, other than the abysmal shopping options and Tink had asked about Emma's new little brother. Emma was trying to steer the conversation toward Regina and Tink's first meeting, in order to ask the fairy for help, but there was no easy way to segue the conversation and Emma felt that she had already wasted enough time searching for the fairy.

"Tink," Emma interrupted the fairy's diatribe about Neverland or something, "while talking has been fun and we really should get together sometime, maybe, I need your help."

The fairy looked confused, "What could I possibly help you with?"

"I need you to help me find Regina's True Love."

"I tried that years ago and it was Robin Hood and Regina knows this. That's why I lost my wings."

"Right, well you have your wings back now and Robin Hood is not her True Love."

"How do you know? They seemed pretty cozy last I saw them."

"Were you not working at the diner a couple weeks ago? When I came back from the past?"

"No. Ruby was on shift. I was at the 'movies'. It's amazing what passes for entertainment in this world."

"Yes, well," Emma said, clearly flustered. "Ignoring that for the time being, Robin isn't Regina's true love and Regina is frozen and only her True Love can unfreeze her and I need to know who that is. Can you help?"

"Why didn't you ask the other fairies?"

"Because you're the one who helped Regina last time."

"Which resulted in my wings being taken away from me."

"Oh." Emma hadn't really thought about that, and at the moment she was kind of angry that Tink would put her wings before Regina's life. Then she remembered that after her wings were taken, Tink had lived god knows how long in Neverland and she kind of saw where Tink was coming from. "Do you think the other fairies would help?"

"Not a chance," Tink replied. "Blue told me before, when I tried to help Regina, back before she was the Evil Queen, that Regina couldn't be helped because she was the daughter of Cora, who was evil."

"Well, that's bullshit."

"That's what I thought! I thought that if I helped Regina, she could be happy. There was no reason to hold her mom over her happiness."

"You were right. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Regina chickened out. I'm sorry too. She might've been happy with Ro - hey, wait, why isn't he her True Love?"

"I brought his wife back from the dead," Emma mumbled almost unintelligibly. But Tink was able to understand her after decades on an island full of teenage boys.

"YOU WHAT?!"

"Keep it down, will ya? I brought Marian back to life and that made Robin go from potential true love who's realized its potential to fucking bastard who isn't good enough to lick Regina's boots, minus the fact that Roland and Marian seem perfectly fine."

"Well, shit."

"You're telling me."

The two blondes sat at the counter in the diner then, pondering over what to do about Regina. Granny's was really quiet today.

"What do you know about Regina?" Tink asked suddenly.

"I don't know. Stuff. Why?"

"Well, I know some things about True Love. And you know some things about the present Regina. Maybe if we work together, we can narrow down her potential True Loves, if she has any left, and fix the problem."

"You'd be willing to help Regina?" Emma asked skeptically.

"I don't want to give up my wings again, of course," Tink explained. "Especially if we don't know if it'll work. But I remember who Regina used to be and I'd like to see her happy. Plus, since you apparently wrecked my first attempt at bringing her to happiness, no matter how late it was, you kinda ruined my justification for being kind of okay with losing my wings in the first place."

"I didn't mean to."

"And Regina didn't mean for me to lose my wings when she refused to meet Robin, but there you go."

"So you'll help me?"

"I'll be glad to."

Emma smiled then because Tink's offer had given her hope, however slight it was.

Tink smiled too and said, "I need you to take me to Regina."

"Why?"

Tink sighed, "It's a long story. I'll explain on the way."


	6. The Beginning of the Journey

"So what you're saying is that fairies have a magical ability to sense love?" Emma asked, disbelief coloring her tone.

"Kind of," Tink said, for like the fiftieth time during the walk to the mayoral mansion.

They were walking because Tinkerbell did not trust cars and Emma did not feel like arguing with one of her only allies in bringing Regina back.

"See," Tink went on, "a fairy can kind of sense a person's capacity to love and to be loved."

"But you can't see like a magic number?" Emma asked. "Like, there won't be a flashing red light telling you Regina only has two True loves left?"

Tink shook her head, "No, it's not that simple. All I can tell you is whether or not Regina is open to love and whether or not there are people that love her or would be open to loving her."

Emma slowed her walk a little as she contemplated this. "Does it sense all types of love?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like," Emma started to explain, "Henry loves Regina and Regina obviously loves Henry. Would you sense that? Would it cloud the search for her True Love?"

"Right, no," Tink assured Emma. "Fairies can only sense True Love in the sense that it's romantic. Henry would be excluded."

"Why?"

"Because if we could sense all types of love, it would get kind of crazy," Tink said. "Like I'm sure that Archie guy loves his dog, but knowing that wouldn't help fairies any. The only reason why sense True Love anyway is because it was beneficial for us. In exchange for pairing up various royals with True Love, we were able to get the dwarves permits to mine in certain kingdoms for pixie dust."

"So you exclude the unnecessary?"

"Precisely," Tink answered. "So if Robin Hood is, like you say, no longer Regina's True Love, then I'll be able to tell if there's still one out there."

"Can you sense one even if he's in like a different realm or whatever?"

"What?"

"Like if her True Love is in the Enchanted Forest, could you sense him or not since he isn't here?"

"I should be able to sense all of them."

"And if you can sense them," Emma said, "what good would that do, exactly?"

Tink rolled her eyes. She _was _trying to help, after all. "If I can sense that Regina has a possible True Love out there, then _you _can try to talk Blue into giving you some pixie dust to find him."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Tink asked, slightly surprised. "You'd steal for Regina?"

"I think I'd do just about anything to get her back," Emma sighed. "For Henry."

Tink smiled to herself. It was true what she had said, about fairies being able to sense a person's capacity for True Love, and hearing Emma talk about Regina, Tink could sense _something. _And she was sure it wasn't 'for Henry'.

"We're here," Emma announced as the two came upon the large white house.

"_This _is where Regina lives?"

Emma smiled at Tink's astonishment. "She was a queen. But she doesn't live here now. Now she lives in the cellar. Because of me."

* * *

When the two arrived in the cellar, they were surprised to see Henry there, talking to Regina.

"Mom, I'm sorry for all the things I said. I know you always loved me. I love you. I'm sorry. I just want you to come back."

Henry had yet to notice the two women, so Emma made sure to make her footsteps echo a little louder than usual in the cellar to preserve some of Henry's privacy.

Henry sniffled and looked up at Emma. "What are you doing here?"

Tink assumed he was addressing her, so she went to speak, but Emma stopped her.

"I'm here to help Regina."

"You've done enough!" Henry exclaimed, much to Tink's surprise. She didn't know why he'd be angry at Emma. To Tink, it seemed that all Emma wanted to do was get Regina back.

"I want her back as much as you do, kid," Emma tried to reassure her son.

"Then leave. Find a way to bring her back. You're the Savior. Go _save."_

_"That's why I'm here."_

"Is that why you brought her?"

Tink was stunned to realize that Henry was referring to her, as if he'd finally noticed that she was there.

"Yeah," Emma said. "She wants to help."

"How is she going to help?"

Emma paused. She wasn't sure if she wanted Henry to know what Tink said she could do. Because he'd want to be there. He'd want to know. And if Tink came up with bad news, that Regina didn't have a True Love, then the boy would be crushed. Hell, _she'd _be crushed, so she couldn't even imagine how Henry would take knowing that his mom wouldn't ever come back.

"She just," Emma began, "will. But I need you to go."

"No!" Henry said. "I wasn't there when mom was frozen. I didn't get to say goodbye. I want to be here. _I _want to help." Then in a whisper, as if he were unsure of himself, "You have to let me help. I need her, Emma."

Emma went to embrace Henry then and Tink looked away, not wanting to pry into this family moment. But she could still hear Emma tell Henry, "I know you do, kid. We both do."

* * *

"So did it work?"

After Emma and Henry had collected themselves, Emma and Tink had tried to explain to Henry what Tink was there to do, namely find out if Regina could love again, truly. And now, Tink was sensing, and trying not to flinch as the pair stared at her, willing her to sense _something. _

"I need more time," Tink said.

Emma and Henry nodded but Tink could feel that their gaze never wavered.

_Concentrate, _she willed herself. And then, she _felt _it. The spark.

It was, she was sad to note, kind of dull. But it was there. She smiled.

In response, Tink could see that Emma and Henry were bursting with excitement.

"Well, what is it?" they asked in unison.

Tink took a deep breath before she announced, "There's hope. Regina has a True Love out there somewhere _and _she's open to it. I can't read much more than that, but I think that's enough to know. Now all we gotta do is find this person."

"Yes!" Henry whooped. "Mom," he said, addressing Regina, "we're gonna get you back!"

Emma's enthusiasm, however, was a lot more muted. She could tell there was something that Tink wasn't saying.


	7. Operation SwanQueen?

Emma left Henry to celebrate with the frozen Regina and she took Tink aside.

"What is it?"

"What?" the fairy asked, feigning ignorance.

"What's the catch? Emma clarified, in no mood for games. "Regina has a true love. But what's the problem?"

Tink didn't know what to say, because if she was right, and she thought she was, then she couldn't tell Emma what she suspected. That maybe it was Emma herself that was Regina's last chance of survival as something other than a block of ice. Because the rules of True Love were clear: fairies couldn't interfere. Sure, a fairy could tell a queen that her daughter was destined for True Love with the prince of another kingdom, but until the daughter and the prince fell in love, that's all it was, a prophecy. It couldn't be a self-fulfilled one. Tink couldn't tell Emma that she was Regina's True Love and have Emma believe it only for it to be false. Emma had to find out on her own. Emma had to fall for Regina on her own.

Even when Tink led Regina to Robin Hood that first time, she only promised the young girl the potential of happiness with someone because that's all a fairy could ever truly guarantee.

_Free will is a bitch, _Tink decided.

In answer to Emma's look of concern, however, she answered, "Her True Love doesn't know that s- um, that Regina is h- well, see-"

"Just spit it out!" Emma exclaimed, frustrated. And her exclamation alerted Henry, who was still celebrating at the news of Regina's new True Love.

"What is it?" he asked then, his joy depleting slowly. "What's wrong?"

Tink huffed, "There's only a slight problem. Regina has feelings for someone who could be her True Love but this person isn't aware of Regina's feelings or even their own so until this person becomes aware that they feel for Regina, then True Love's Kiss won't work. It has to be mutual. The _good news _is that since True Love has to be mutual, the only person that needs to be convinced is the one that _isn't _frozen through."

Henry brightened, "So all we gotta do is find this person and get them to fall in love with Mom?"

"Yes," Tink answered. At least the boy understood.

Emma remained unconvinced. "How do you propose we do that?"

"I'm not sure," Tink replied. And she wasn't sure how she was going to go about getting Emma to open up about her feelings for the former queen. "How long do we have?"

"Why?" asked both Emma and Henry.

Tink shrugged, "Just that it might take a while to find this person and convince them that Regina is their True Love, so I wanted to know if there was a clock or something."

Emma shook her head, "From what I understand, Regina will remain frozen until an 'act of True Love' saves her, but there's not a clock on it. Like if we don't find her True Love in the next week, she'll stay frozen forever."

Henry, on the other hand, looked hesitant. "Yeah, but-"

"What is it, kid?" Emma asked.

"People still hate Mom," he replied. "You know, for being the Evil Queen and cursing everyone. It's not a lot of people, but there are still some. She gets nasty letters in the mail and sometimes people egg the house or whatever."

Emma looked worried. "How come she never told me? How come _you _never told me?"

Henry looked troubled, "She said it was fine. She didn't want to worry anyone. She said they were just harmless letters and she could clean the eggs with magic."

"But you think it's more serious?" Emma asked.

"Well," Henry said, "Mom isn't really able to protect herself now. People hated her for the same reason they were still afraid of her. She had magic. But now she doesn't. Now she's vulnerable."

Emma seemed to consider this information. "We'll protect her, Henry. We won't let anything happen to Regina."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

Then Emma did something with her hands and they started to give off a faint glow.

"What are you doing?" Tink and Henry both asked her.

"Casting a protection spell over Regina," Emma said. "It's one of the few things she taught me how to do, before - well, everything. So anyone that tries to hurt her won't be able to. And I'll cast a spell on the cellar, too, so that only us and Snow and David can enter."

"And Neal," Henry piped up.

"Right," Emma said. "I almost forgot about the baby."

As Emma was busy casting spells, Tink decided to take Henry aside and speak with him privately. He followed willingly enough.

"Henry," she began, "do you know of anyone your mom might've had feelings for?"

The boy shook his head, "She never talked to me about that stuff, but-"

Tink didn't know why he stopped, but she urged him to continue, "Go on. But what?"

"I don't know," the boy shook his head. "It's probably nothing."

"Look," Tink said, "we have to do everything we can to bring Regina back. Nothing isn't nothing now. Anything is possible. What is it?"

"I think she might have had feelings for Mom."

"Herself?" Tink was puzzled.

"No," Henry said before clarifying, "Emma."

This was good news. Tink tried to suppress a smile. She didn't want to give herself away. "Why do you think that?"

"Well," Henry said, "when Emma brought Marian back, Mom was really mad. But she didn't seem to be mad because she lost Robin. Just, she was angry at Emma for like betraying her trust. I guess Mom didn't think Emma would ever hurt her and then she did."

"And that makes you think she liked Emma?"

"Well, that, and the fact that even when she was pretending to hate Emma, she made me take extra food to the Sheriff's station because she insisted that 'my other mother had to eat healthily' so that I would have a good example."

"She made Emma food?"

"Yeah," Henry said, excitement lacing his voice, "and not all of it was even healthy. Once she made me bring Emma _five _cupcakes. She said it was because then I could share with Emma and Mary Margaret and David, but she knew that Emma was going to eat all of them herself. Emma _loves _Mom's cooking."

Tink decided to show her cards. Emma looked to be slowing down on her spell casting and she needed answers. "Do you think Emma could love your mom, too?"

The boy shrugged, before his expression lit up. "Are you saying that _Emma _is the True Love you sensed for Mom?"

Tink nodded, "If what you're saying is right and Regina has feelings for Emma, then it's gotta be."

"We gotta tell her!"

"NO!"

Tink looked swiftly around, but Emma still seemed distracted for the moment. Good.

"Why not?"

"Because True Loves have to be mutual and consensual. We can't force Emma into thinking she's Regina's True Love because then it can't work. We'd've planted the idea in her head so she wouldn't be able to tell if it was because we said something or if she'd felt that way all along, and doubt doesn't fit in with True Love."

"Yeah, but she can't exactly date my mom so she can fall for her either, so how are we going to do this?"

"I don't know. We'll find a way. But you can't tell _anyone. _Okay?"

"I won't. Promise. I want Mom back and I won't screw it up. You'll really help me?"

"Yes."

Henry smiled at Tink as Emma came up to them.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked.

"Just 'Operation Mom's True Love'," Henry answered. "Tink's going to help."

Emma smiled, "Good, because we're gonna need all the help we can get if we're supposed to find this person. Regina should be pretty protected now, but I'll make sure to keep an extra eye out. Now what do you say we go out to Granny's for some food?"

"I don't want to leave the house," Henry said. "I think Mom still has lasagna in the freezer though."

Emma's smile got noticeably brighter, "Alright! Yeah, let's stay here. Tink, you staying for dinner? I love Regina's lasagna. It's the _best._"

Tink and Henry exchanged a sly smile as they followed the already departing Emma out of the cellar.

_This is going to be easy, _Tink dared to think.


	8. Dream Regina & Maybe Emma Isn't Clueless

_"God, I love your ass," Emma groaned as Regina ground herself against Emma's core. _

_"You love more than that," Regina said as she turned around to face her partner. "Now, come on. We've got the chocolate syrup. Let's head to the bedroom. Henry can only stay over at your parents' for so long."_

_As Emma captured Regina's impossibly full lips with her own, she muttered, "I love the kid, but I really wish he wasn't such a cockblock sometimes."_

_"Ooohh," Regina moaned. "A cock. Now there's an idea."_

_And Emma didn't know if it was her magic or Regina's but they were suddenly in Regina's room on her massive king size bed. And Regina was naked._

_"Fuck," Emma said. "You're so fucking hot."_

_"You aren't too bad yourself," Regina winked as she started to undress Emma. "Now, about that cock, were you imagining it on me or you?"_

_Emma blinked. She always found it hard to think when Regina was naked. "What?"_

_"A dick," Regina repeated. "Did you want me to use one on you or did you want to **fuck** me with one?"_

_"Shit," Emma moaned. "I love it when you talk dirty."_

_"I need an answer, Emma," the brunette said. _

_"Uh, why?"_

_"Because magicking us both cocks would be a little silly."_

_Emma's eyes widened, "You mean...?"_

_Regina nodded, "Yes. I can conjure a **real **dick for one of us to use on the other, one that will act like a real cock, minus actual sperm, because I don't think either of us wants to get knocked up right now. So, which one? Me or you?"_

_Emma smiled, "Me, definitely. I wanna fuck you from behind."_

_"Mmmmm, as you wish."_

_And before Emma knew it she was - _

Awake_._

_"Fuck," _she groaned and this time it wasn't out of pleasure.

This wasn't the first time she'd had a sex dream about Regina, but for some reason this dream had felt more _real _than the others. Plus, there was the little fact that she was currently in Regina's bed. With Regina's scent all around her.

It wasn't like she had planned to sleep here. In Regina's room. In Regina's bed. But Henry hadn't wanted to leave the manor and Regina, which Emma understood. But then Henry said Tink could take the guest room and Emma could stay in Regina's room, which was weird. Emma was certain that Tink and Henry were up to something, but it was late and Emma was tired. They had all spent hours gorging themselves on Regina's perfect cooking and discussing who in town could be Regina's True Love. And Emma agreed with Henry, that Tink shouldn't have to walk all the way to Granny's and Tink didn't like cars and Emma didn't want to walk with her and Henry, so they'd all separated. Tink to the only guest bedroom Regina'd prepared, Henry to his room, and Emma to Regina's.

_You're making my sheets smell like your pussy, _Imaginary Regina moaned in Emma's head. And Emma didn't know if she was going crazy, but she didn't care.

She was still full from the perfect lasagna and horny from the dream. She knew it was wrong, what with Regina being frozen in the cellar and Emma in Regina's bed and everything, but she really needed to get off. So that she could sleep.

_And find my True Love, _Imaginary Regina reminded her.

Emma rolled her eyes. Yeah, she needed to find Regina's True Love but she couldn't do anything about that _now._

Imaginary Regina just laughed. _Fine then. **Masturbate, **in my bed. Just think, though, that if I wasn't frozen, it could be my hand down your panties instead of your own._

_"_Yeah, right," Emma scoffed as she started lightly brushing her fingers up and down her slit. "Like you'd even give me a second glance once I find your True Love."

And then Emma stopped what she was doing. Did she _want _Regina like that? Sure, she'd had her share of dreams starring the mayor, but she had always thought that was just her mind's way of processing her frustration with the other woman. The dreams had started even before the curse broke, when Regina was just a frigid bitch who needed to get laid. And Emma's subconscious had helpfully decided that at least in her dreams, Emma would be the one to help the mayor loosen up.

And, yeah, sure, the dreams didn't stop when the curse broke. If anything, they just got more _intense, _when she had them, which wasn't _that _often.

_Well, _Emma thought to herself, _aside from when I returned from the past because Regina was so fucking fuckable when she was dressed like the Evil Queen. _

_I'd have fucked you then, too, _Imaginary Regina said. _If you hadn't run._

Emma started moving her hand again, working herself back up, because she was still very much turned on, with her memories of the other Regina sex dreams she'd had, memories of Regina as the Evil Queen, and Imaginary Regina in her head.

But did that mean Emma had feelings for Regina?

She wasn't sure, but she couldn't think about that as she rubbed circles around her clit. She needed to get off, then go to sleep, then find whoever Regina was supposed to be with for the rest of her life.

_Whether or not I have feelings for Regina doesn't matter, _she thought. _Not when Regina is meant to be with somebody else._

Imaginary Regina whispered, _I don't see anybody else in my bed._

And the seed was planted.

It was a more romantic fantasy than Emma was used to having. Usually, she just imagined fucking. But sometimes in her dreams she and Regina were in a relationship. Once or twice, they'd even been married, so it wasn't like she hadn't thought about it before, even if she hadn't meant to.

So, as she started tracing her labia and making tighter circles around her clit, she thought what it would be like if she were Regina's True Love, as ridiculous as that idea seemed to her.

_I'd kiss you, _Emma thought, almost like she was talking to Imaginary Regina. _Then you'd unfreeze. And call me an idiot for not doing it sooner._

_This is quite the sexy fantasy, _Imaginary Regina commented.

_Shut up, _Emma thought, _you know you would._

Imaginary Regina was silent.

_Then Henry would hug you and he'd hug me and we'd celebrate as a family. Then when Henry was finally exhausted from celebrating, we'd come back here to your bed and you'd soundproof the room and I'd kiss you again, slowly. And I'd ask you if you were sure you wanted to do this so soon, and you'd say you were waiting on me to make a move and your True Love for forever, so yeah, you were ready. We'd have the rest of our lives to fall in love. We didn't have to take it slow._

_I'm not sure I'd move so fast, _Imaginary Regina said. _But what about you? I'm sure I'd ask if you were ready to become intimate so soon as well._

_Of course I'd be ready, _Emma replied. _I'd've slept with you that day I took a chainsaw to your apple tree. Right after, in fact. You're unbelievably hot when you're angry. _

_Yeah, but fucking is different than having sex with your True Love, _Imaginary Regina pointed out.

_How could I not love you? _Emma asked. _If I were lucky enough to be your True Love, then I'd love you with all my being. You're so amazing._

_Because I'm 'unbelievably hot?'_

_No, because you're **you, **Regina. You're smart and kind and a fabulous mother and a great friend and even though you've been through shit, you always have hope. You always believe. And even when you had every reason to hate me, you didn't. You made sure Henry kept an eye on me and you made sure I ate more than just bearclaws and you **saved **me from Elsa. You being so fucking sexy is just a really great bonus._

"Shit," Emma said as she buried her face in Regina's pillow, inhaling her scent as she came. "I think I might be in love with Regina."


	9. A Late Night Experiment

Emma had to be really quiet. It was 3 in the morning and Henry and Tink were still fast asleep. She didn't really know what she was doing, sneaking around the mansion at this ungodly hour but she knew she just _had _to do something.

So with the smell of herself still lingering on her fingers, dressed only in a tank top and panties, she crept through the house, heading for the cellar.

The cool tile in the kitchen floor put a little sense into Emma and she paused in front of the door that led straight to the cellar.

_What am I doing? _she thought to herself. _This is crazy. Like if I kiss her, she'll wake up._

But despite the doubt coursing its way through her, Emma still felt determined to do what she had gotten out of bed to do, namely, kiss Regina.

_I just have to know for sure, _Emma justified to herself. Because what if it did work? She wouldn't have wanted to have _not _woken up Regina because of her own self-doubt. Regina didn't deserve _that _on top of everything.

And if the kiss worked and Regina was her True Love, then they would deal with that later. Together.

So Emma slowly opened up the cellar door and began her descent into the dark room. She turned on the light and was surprised at how cold and sterile the wine cellar looked. She felt bad for keeping Regina in there.

_Maybe you can free me, _Imaginary Regina encouraged.

And it was that encouragement that spurned Emma on. She quickly raced down the stairs, until she stood in front of the freezer where Regina was still standing, frozen solid.

Then Emma paused. Face to face with Regina, she wasn't sure she could do it. Didn't know if she could really _kiss _Regina.

_Do I love her? _she asked herself again.

Imaginary Regina, whom Emma was beginning to like, whether she was the _real _Regina, managing a way to communicate with her for some reason, or a figment of her imagination, broke in, _Don't think, Emma. Just **feel.**_

Emma cleared her mind then. And she just focused on feeling, on feeling for Regina, _her _Regina. She remembered how she felt that first time she realized Regina _really, really _did love Henry, that day when the mines collapsed. She could've sworn that if Henry wasn't in mortal peril at that very instant, she'd've kissed Regina. And that Regina would have kissed her, too. Then she thought about when she saw Regina trying to stop the trigger, trying to sacrifice herself so that the rest of the town and Henry and Emma could live their lives happily ever after, so that Henry would see her as a _person, _not an Evil Queen, so that she could die as 'just Regina'. And she remembered how she felt then, how she didn't want Regina to die. She had thought at the time it was because of Henry, but she realized that a large part of the reason she decided to try to help Regina stop the thing was because she didn't want to lose Regina.

And there were many, many more moments in between and since those events that Emma was overwhelmed with her feelings for the woman frozen before her. Whether it was emotional or sexual, she _wanted _Regina.

But would that be enough to unfreeze the queen?

_Only one way to find out, _Imaginary Regina coaxed.

And Emma agreed. So she slowly opened the freezer door.

"Hey, Regina," she said. "I, uh, know it's late and everything, but I did promise you I'd unfreeze you and everything. And I figure you'd rather that happen sooner than later. And I don't know if this will work or not, so don't get your hopes up. But, I, um, said I'd find your True Love and I meant that. I want you to be, well, not frozen, and also happy. So, anyway, I was just thinking that maybe I love you? So I was gonna just, try, you know, kissing you."

_Please work, _Emma hoped and prayed and wished as hard as she'd ever done for anything in her whole life that Regina would wake up.

She leaned forward, thoughts and feelings of Regina flooding her mind, and gently pressed her lips to Regina's.

Her eyes had closed, she wasn't sure when, so all she felt was the cold, icy press of Regina's lips against hers and then-

She felt it. She felt _Regina's _lips, warm, full, sweet, and _right_ pressed up against her own but it was just for a fleeting instant before all she felt was cold again.

It had happened so fast that she wasn't even sure if she imagined it or not, because she couldn't open her eyes fast enough. She didn't _see Regina _unfreeze, but she had felt it and she was pretty sure it had happened.

_But why wouldn't she unfreeze permanently? _Emma asked herself, self-doubt replacing thoughts of love for Regina.

She wasn't enough, clearly. Her love wasn't enough. Wasn't true enough. She was never enough. And she hated it. Sure, Emma was used to it, but she didn't want Regina to have to suffer because she wasn't enough, couldn't be enough, couldn't love enough.

"Fuck," she cried. "Regina, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have thought that _I _could do it. I'm so fucking sorry. I'll find your True Love. I promise. And it'll be someone who can love you the way I clearly can't."

Emma rushed out of the cellar then. She couldn't stand seeing her failure. She raced up the stairs, slammed the cellar door, unconcerned now with whether or not Tink and Henry woke up, and raced to the living room. She couldn't see herself sleeping in Regina's bed now that she knew she wasn't good enough.

She sat on the couch and sobbed, for herself, for Regina, for Henry. She just cried, hard and loud and snotty.

What she didn't notice when she was busy rushing out of the cellar as fast as her legs could carry her was that Regina's expression had changed. Instead of her face taking on a look of fierce protectiveness, it was replaced with an equal look of fierce happiness and _love_.


	10. Release and Expectation

_Emma felt a slick wetness on her fingers. Her sleepy mind assumed it was left over from her tears, but then the wetness **moved. **Emma felt a hot breath on her neck and she heard a whispered moan, "I'm close."  
_

_She opened her eyes, shocked to see Regina, slowly riding her hand. She watched, mesmerized, as Regina kept up the slow, grinding pace as she thrust back and forth on her fingers. She could feel the queen's vaginal walls squeezing her fingers, could feel how close she was. _

_"You feel so good, baby," Emma murmured to her companion, urging Regina on despite her own confusion._

_"I need more," Regina groaned, quickening her pace._

_Emma assumed that Regina meant at that moment, so she started using her thumb to brush light circles around Regina's swollen clit, which earned her more eager moans from the woman in question. But Emma's mind quickly filled itself with reminders that Regina not only needed more to get off, she needed more than **Emma. **She wasn't enough for Regina. And that reminder stung and she stilled her thumb._

_Regina sighed in displeasure, "Why'd you stop?"_

_Emma noticed that Regina hadn't quit riding her hand, although her pace had slowed considerably. And while she wanted to get Regina off, to see her come, she just didn't feel like she could. It wouldn't be fair to her or Regina._

_"Hey," Emma said, trying to extricate her fingers from Regina's velvety folds, "I can't do this. I know this is probably a dream or whatever and it's stupid because I've never had a problem dreaming about this, about **you, **before, but I need to talk to you."_

_And suddenly, Emma could feel a change come over Regina. She could see the change in her posture._

_"Well, Miss Swan, it seems like you haven't missed me at all."_

_Yeah, Regina had definitely changed. _

_"Regina?" Emma asked cautiously. _

_The queen rolled her eyes, "You'd think that if someone was having sex dreams about you, they'd at least have the decency to recognize you."_

_"I," Emma began, before she decided to say something else, "Is it really you?"_

_"Yes, Miss Swan. It is really me."_

_"How?"_

_Regina looked hesitant, and she shrugged, "I am not certain. What was happening in this dream of yours?"_

_Emma blushed and didn't answer._

_"Look, Emma," Regina said, gently. "It's okay. Just tell me what was happening so we can figure out how I'm **here, **because I'm not sure how long this will last."_

_Emma reluctantly looked Regina in her eyes, "I, uh, well, we were having sex, as I'm sure you can tell." Emma managed to finally get her hand out from under Regina as she was explaining. "And you were, um, close."_

_"Hmm, I can tell."_

_Emma's blush deepened, "Right, yeah, and I stopped."_

_"Why?"_

_"What?"_

_"Why did you stop?" inquired Regina. "If I was close to orgasm, why did you stop?"_

_"I, um, well," Emma started, "I don't know if you're like aware of what's been going on or anything since you've been frozen, but I tried to kiss you to, you know, bring you back because I thought I was-"_

_"My True Love," Regina filled in, not sounding surprised or condescending at all, much to Emma's surprise. "Go on."_

_"Yeah, so, I kissed you and I think you unfroze maybe for a second?" Emma said, her inflection rising at the end, letting Regina know how uncertain Emma was with herself. "But obviously if the kiss didn't work, I'm not your True Love so I couldn't save you and so I stopped because I couldn't do it. I couldn't look at you, couldn't pretend I could do this," at this Emma gestured to their still naked bodies entwined together, "and everything was alright. I said I wanted to talk to you, and then you changed."_

_"I see," Regina said, and then she smiled. "You really are quite powerful, my dear. All this potential. You brought me back."_

_Emma vigorously shook her head, "I didn't. That's the point."_

_"Well," Regina began, "maybe not in the way you wanted, although, I can tell you that your kiss did work."_

_"Then why are you still frozen? What do you mean it worked?"_

_"When you said you wanted to talk to me," Regina said, deciding to address the latter part of the question first, "your magic freed my consciousness and transported it, me, here, into your dream. And I'm not sure why I'm still frozen. If your kiss worked, that means you're my True Love."_

_Emma looked down then, "I'm just not good enough."_

_"Hey," Regina said, reaching out to grip Emma's chin to gently tilt it up until they were eye to eye again, "you most certainly **are **enough."_

_"Then why aren't you really here?"_

_Regina shrugged again, an action she surely picked up from Emma herself, "I don't know. But what I do know is that we have to make a plan."_

_"Oh, really?" Emma said. "The almighty Mayor Mills doesn't know what's happening?"_

_Regina's look softened, "See, that's why you're the one."_

_"Because I'm a smartass?"_

_"No," Regina rolled her eyes, "because you don't see me as the Evil Queen."_

_"You **aren't **the Evil Queen," Emma said, before amending, "any more. And even when you were, it was because people really fucked with you."_

_"Hmm," Regina murmured her agreement, choosing to ignore any further conversation about that. "Speaking of **fucking **with me, I think the first thing you should do is let me come."_

_Emma was certain her eyes would have popped out of her head if they weren't attached. "What?!"_

_"You heard me," Regina said, straightening her posture, making sure her breasts were in Emma's face as she straddled the blonde. "I might not have been consciously present for the beginning of this dream, and we definitely have to talk about these fantasies of yours at a later date, but I am aware now and I am extremely close to finishing. It would be cruel to leave me on the edge, especially since I will be frozen until you unfreeze me. That's a fate I wouldn't even wish on Snow White."_

_Emma grimaced, "Yeah, don't mention my mother at the same time you want me to, you know."_

_Regina smirked, "For all of your brashness, you certainly are shy when it comes to talking about sex. Which is odd, really, since this is your dream."_

_The blonde didn't reply; she just leaned forward to press a kiss to Regina's breast, first one then the other. Gentle kisses, then she started lightly licking around Regina's nipples, tight circles, first on the right tit then on the left, until the brunette's nipples were stiff peaks. She took one of them in her mouth and sucked._

_"Yess," Regina moaned, gripping the back of Emma's head, ensuring she didn't stop what she was doing._

_Emma smiled against Regina's breast and moved her right hand to Regina's entrance. She was pleased to discover the other woman was still really wet. Regina lifted slightly, just enough for Emma to easily slip inside two fingers. Regina wasted no time in humping Emma's hand then._

_"Fuck, yes, Emma." Regina's motions got quicker. "I'm almost there."_

_Emma began once again to use her thumb to stimulate Regina's clit, switching her mouth to the other breast._

_In mere moments, Emma could feel Regina let go. She could feel Regina's grip on her head tighten then immediately loosen. She could hear Regina's breathing quicken then slow. She reveled in the feeling of knowing she had made Regina, the real Regina, orgasm._

_After a few seconds of recovery, Regina looked at Emma, "Thank you."_

_Emma rolled her eyes before playfully saying, "You know, in my dreams, you usually thank me a lot differently, and you're a lot louder."_

_Regina did not look amused, "Well, Miss Swan, I suppose that means you'll have to figure out how to unfreeze me so you can see if the **real me** is more like your fantasies."_

_And then Emma's mind went blank._

* * *

"Hey, Ma," Henry gently whispered, trying to rouse the tear-stained and moaning Emma. "Are you okay?"

Tink had been watching the kid try to wake his mother for the last five minutes, with no success. They were both alarmed when they had come into the living room to find Emma Swan on the couch, tears streaking her face. But when Emma started moaning, Tink was just thankful that the kid assumed she was having a nightmare.

"Ma, wake up!" Henry urged. He had very important news to share with his blonde mother and he was getting tired of waiting to share. "It's important!"

Emma's face scrunched up in a way Tink would have deemed cute if she was the sort to think those things, "Mmm, what is it?"

"Mom woke up!"

Emma was up fast as lightning, "What?!"

Henry paused, taken aback by Emma's obvious excitement, "Well, I think she did, sometime in the night, maybe. But she's frozen again now."

"Oh," Emma deflated.

"But she's changed!" Henry insisted. "Tink can tell you!" The boy fixed his eyes on Tink, urging her to confirm his claim.

"It's true," Tink said. "She's changed."

Emma looked intrigued, "Really? How?"

Henry took Emma's hand and pulled her into a sitting position before trying to pull her off the couch.

"Come see for yourself! She looks happy!"


	11. The First Clue

Henry was bursting with excitement to show Emma the change that had overcome his brunette mother. Upon waking up this morning, he had rushed down to the cellar to see Regina. He had realized, sadly, that greeting his mother in the morning was something he had stopped doing quite a while ago and he vowed that when she was unfrozen, and he would ensure that she get unfrozen somehow, he would be sure greet her every morning for the rest of his life.

He was surprised to see that the light was on in the cellar. He was pretty sure Emma had turned it off when they left the room the night before. For a brief second, he was happy his mom was frozen because if she knew they had left the light on all night, she'd've been pissed about the waste of electricity. That thought was quickly followed by regret. He'd have taken a pissed off Regina and an hour long lecture over a frozen Regina any day.

Henry had skidded to a stop in front of the clear, freezer door. He was panting because the sprint from his room to the cellar had left him a little breathless. He made a mental note to ask Emma if he could accompany her on her jogs. Then he looked up at Regina's face, and at first he did not register the change.

"Hey, mom," he started. Then he noticed. "Mom?"

He cocked his head to the side. She had definitely changed. She was no longer in the protective stance she had been in and instead of her face taking on the look of a scary mama bear, it had taken on a look Henry hadn't seen on his mom's face in what felt like lifetimes. She looked _happy, _and that confused him. Because if she had changed, somehow, but she was still definitely frozen, why would she look this happy?

If Regina had been flesh and blood at that moment, and instead of a human-sized icicle, Henry would have deemed her expression as pretty gross. Because not only did she look happy, but upon closer inspection Henry determined that she also looked sappy, like she was in love or something. And while he wished nothing more for both his mothers, but especially Regina, than for them to be happy and in love, he was a teenage boy and he most definitely didn't want to think about his mothers being in such a state, except for in vague, abstract terms.

Even when Regina had been merrily going around with Robin Hood and she looked like she was 'head over heels' in love, whatever that meant, she'd never looked quite like _this. _

And that is when Henry remembered scraps of conversations he'd overhead Emma and Tink exchange the night before. Emma had gotten Robin Hood to kiss his mom the previous day, in an attempt to wake her up from her frozen sleep. It hadn't appeared to have worked when they were all in the cellar the other night, but he surmised that maybe it just took some time to take effect.

He looked closely at Regina's expression once more before running out of the cellar, being sure to turn off the light despite his excitement, and going to get Tinkerbell to show her what had happened and to discuss all of the possible reasons. Thoughts of Emma being Regina's True Love had been completely forgotten.

But as he was ambling down the steps once again, eager to show his mom Regina's changed expression, theorizing out loud that Robin Hood's kiss must have worked, he remembered. Emma had reminded him, in fact, because the mention of Robin had certainly made his blonde mother tense. And the mere thought that he entertained the idea of the thief as suitable for Regina's True Love seemed to really...well, Henry didn't quite know what to categorize the expression Emma's face had taken when she realized he meant Robin was his mom's True Love, but whatever it was, it was not a happy expression.

Realizing that Emma's feelings for his mom seemed to be closer to the surface than either he or Tinkerbell originally assumed, he made to take the fairy aside to speak with her. He hurriedly ushered Emma to the freezer where Regina was being kept and he was pleased to see that she was completely occupied with this puzzle as he had been. That meant he had some time. Walking with Tink out of earshot, he wasted no time in getting straight to his point.

"I don't know what happened to make mom look like that," he said, "but clearly Emma doesn't _want _it to have been Robin. Do you think his kiss could've worked yesterday and been really delayed but that Emma could still be mom's True Love?"

Tink was thankful the boy had finally paused in all his rushing around to think critically about the situation. From the moment he had rushed into the guest room, spouting off something about Regina until right now, she had been puzzling over that exact question. Unfortunately, she had come to no conclusions.

"I don't know," she answered. "Perhaps Robin's kiss _did _work, but not fully, which is why she's still frozen."

Henry nodded his understanding. "So Emma could still be mom's True Love."

Tink's heart was warmed by the beaming smile on Henry's face at the thought of his two moms being destined to be together, but she was a cautious woman, after having her wings taken away and decades in Neverland, so she regrettably had to dampen the boy's mood.

"The only thing that puzzles me," she began, "is that if Robin _isn't _her True Love and Emma _is, _why your mom looks like _that."_

Henry hadn't considered this yet. His mom was super happy right now, yes. Robin's kiss might have been the cause for the change, yes. But those two things seemed to be separate. The idea of Robin making his mom _that _happy didn't quite sit well with Henry.

He shook his head. "She didn't look that happy when she was with him before." And that seemed to satisfy him. Regina was happy for some other reason, a reason that had nothing to do with the thief in tights. "Even if his kiss is why she was able to change, he's not the reason she looks so happy. He can't be."

The boy seemed so sure that Tink didn't feel like arguing. Not that she'd get a chance to, since Emma had finished gawking at Regina and was now approaching them.

"What are you guys talking about?" Emma asked, suspicion lacing her tone.

Henry beamed up at his blonde mother and answered, "Mom." which seemed to satisfy her for the time being. Tink noted that Henry had technically told the truth. And she also noticed that Emma's expression looked almost as happy as Henry's at the mention of the brunette. She guessed that Henry believing Robin had caused the shift in Regina's expression was the only reason Emma wasn't as happy as her son.

What neither Tink nor Henry knew, of course, was that Emma knew exactly why Regina had changed. And she was happy to see evidence, aside from her very _vivid _dream from the night before, that _her _kiss had worked on Regina. The only problem was that she didn't know how she was going to figure out how to unfreeze Regina completely, if her kiss hadn't worked the way it was supposed to.


End file.
